Pentagon says navy secretary is leaving, marking another top leader’s departure | US military
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the Navy’s top civilian official, Navy Secretary John Phelan, is leaving his post.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement posted on social media that Phelan “has left the administration, effective immediately.”
Hung Cao, the undersecretary of the navy, will be the acting secretary of the navy, Parnell said.
Reuters, citing an unnamed source, reported that Phelan was fired by the Pentagon. Phelan’s dismissal came after months of clashes between Phelan and defense secretary Pete Hegseth, according to the New York Times.
Phelan also reportedly clashed with Hegseth’s aide, Stephen Feinberg, who the Times and CNN reported disapproved of Phelan’s handling of shipbuilding ventures.
The sudden departure comes just a day after Phelan addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals at the Navy’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., and spoke with reporters about his agenda.
Phelan’s departure comes just weeks after Pete Hegseth fired the military’s top officer, Gen. Randy George. Hegseth has also fired several top generals, admirals and other defense leaders since taking office last year. As with many other layoffs, Pentagon officials did not provide a reason for Phelan’s departure.
Phelan leaves as the U.S. navy blockades Iranian ports and targets Tehran-bound ships around the world during a tenuous ceasefire in the Iran war.
Phelan had neither served in the military nor held a civilian leadership role before Donald Trump nominated him for secretary in late 2024.
Phelan was a major donor to Trump’s campaign and founded the private investment firm Rugger Management LLC. According to his biography, Phelan’s first exposure to the military came from a consulting position he held at Spirit of America, a nonprofit organization that supports the defense of Ukraine and Taiwan.
The Associated Press could not immediately reach Phelan’s office for comment.
Cao ran an unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid to unseat Democratic senator Tim Kaine of Virginia in 2024. He had Trump’s support in the crowded Republican primaries.
Cao is a 25-year Navy veteran who served in war zones. His biography includes escaping Vietnam with his family as a child in the 1970s. In a campaign video for his Senate candidacy, he compared Vietnam’s communist regime during the cold war to former president Joe Biden’s administration.
